Alvin's Lower Back Pain Story

My back pain story is a sad tale. I hurt my back at work lifting some
boxes. I felt a sharp pain and my life, as I knew it, was over.

I
immediately knew there was a problem, when I could not straighten up.
The factory foreman called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital.
I was admitted with spasms and inflammation in my low back.

Tests
said that I pinched some nerves and needed surgery to take the pressure
off. I was very frightened. I had an operation a week later and the
doctor did some procedure to my low back which was supposed to relieve
the pain. I think the operation was called disc removal.

Anyway, the
surgery went well and I was sent home to recover. The pain never left.
I was sent for follow up therapy and was told that the surgery will
take time to heal. 1 year later and several more pain relief procedures
using spine injections, and I still had pain.

I went to a new doctor
by recommendation. She told me that I did not need surgery and that the
surgery might actually have done more harm than good. I trusted my
doctor and now this new doctor told me I was basically a fool for having
surgery so fast. I did not know who to believe. I really never
understood exactly what was wrong with my back to begin with.

I guess I
should have learned more and understood better. I probably would have
made smarter choices then. Anyway, I didn’t.

It has been 4 years now
since my surgery. I am better than before, but not well. I still have
pain often and simply can not do the same things I used to do. I had to
change jobs and take a drastic cut in pay from a union laborer to a
part time desk position.

My physical therapist has been great and
helped me overcome a lot. He also worked out a deal with my insurance
carrier to pay fro ongoing therapy for a long time now. I think he is
helping me.

I wanted to write my version of back pain just to tell you
all to figure out what is going on with your back before rushing into
anything. If I had it to do over, I do not think I would have gone to
surgery. I do not think it healed me at all and might have been the
thing to do me in for good.

I am sad, but I am at least alive and
working. I hope this helps. Alvin

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